Eric Fieldstone's Reviews > The Blade Itself

Sand dan Glokta, a golden boy of the Union, destined for greatness, acts heroically in a war and ends up in captivity. Years later, he is released, crippled and twisted by prolonged torture, and is recruited by the Union’s dreaded Inquisition. Now Inquisitor Glokta is about to face his greatest challenge when multiple conspiracies and invasions are unleashed on his complacent, decadent nation.

That alone would’ve made an engrossing story. The spiteful inquisitor, with his silent revile for his superiors and society, could easily carry a plot on his mangled back. Like other fantasy epics, though, The First Blade includes many POV characters. Among them is a hulking warrior who communicates with spirits, a feral woman intent on murdering everyone she meets, and a highborn captain with a bright future—much like Glokta’s past version, minus the intelligence. The latter falls head over heels for a sassy commoner who struggles to fit into a society where one’s background is crucial for relationships, a plotline less believable than magical fire and flesh-eating sorcerers.
On the positive side, I enjoyed the antics of the wizard Bayaz, a curmudgeon who witnessed too much of humanity’s foolishness. He resembles the Feldmarschall from my books enough that they would’ve likely enjoyed sharing an afternoon complaining about the world.

The storytelling is excellent. Besides tension, conflict, elaborate schemes, and a satisfyingly mature depiction of different societies, it is sprinkled with well-timed humor, often surprising you with a solid laugh. The plot unfolds at an engaging pace, leaving important reveals for the final quarter, and the fictional lands are introduced gradually, usually from multiple viewpoints. A superhero-like action scene near the end gets tiresome, and the gory deaths can seem gratuitous, but those come with the gritty genre.

Overall, The Blade Itself is captivating. Enough that I slowed down my reading to savor it for longer, and now I am already reading the second book in the trilogy. It is an absolute must for anyone who loves dark-themed fantasy, realistic characters, complex politics, and an adult outlook on life.